The Low-Flying Object Velocity-Position Tracing System has been invented mainly for defense purpose. The invention is applicable for the detection of low-flying objects which cruise along valleys and coastal areas. In such areas, radars and laser detectors cannot perform their proper functions as the images of low-flying objects are masked by that of the mountains or sea waves. To solve this problem, the old method of detection by analyzing the reflected microwaves or laser beams from the flying objects is not used. Instead, the new method is: detection of the flying objects and the determination of their velocities facilitated by the sequential deflections of laser beam-quadruplets when they are intercepted by the curved equidensity surfaces of air resulting from the downwash and sidewashes around the wings of a flying object or the Mach cone surfaces of a high speed flying object.
To achieve this function one-dimensionally, a sequence of light sensors is arranged dual-in-line with a sequence of prism-complexes which are made by sticking together two right-angled-isosceles-prisms with a thin film of material having a refractive index which differs from that of the prisms. Parallel primary beams emitted by four lasers (preferably injection lasers with a common cooling system) are directed to penetrate the sequence of prism-complexes where small proportions of the primary beam flux are reflected to form parallel beam-quadruplets each of which impinges a light-sensor-quadruplet (preferably phototransistors).
The pattern of the lasers, sensors and the sections of both the primary and secondary beam-quadruplets when viewed along their longitudinal axis, cause the relevant elements become the vertices of an imaginary erect rhombus. The pair lying horizontally and the pair lying vertically are respectively responsible for determining the horizontal and vertical velocity components.
Each of the sensor-quadruplets is connected to one electronic circuit (one stage of an electronic network) linked to other circuits and the console by multiple buses, by which a sign of the flying-object velocity is generated according to the order of being swept of either the horizontal or vertical sensor pair. The transient between when the sensors of either pair are swept is converted into a count (of clock pulses) also by this electronic circuit. The sign and count are transmitted via the sign and data buses respectively to a console where the count is converted into the corresponding velocity by a read-only-memory. The address (i.e. location) of the sensor-quadruplets is also generated by transferring a clock pulse (distributed among the electronic circuits via a clock bus) via appropriate diode-jumpering onto the address buses linking the electronic circuits and the console, so that the address also appear at the console.
A narrow duty cycle clock pulse train (of the above said clock pulse) when operated with suitable delay-element-groups can recurrently release the signs and counts (stored in the electronic circuit) from stage by stage of the electronic network to form parallel sequences of groups of ordered pulse sequences travelling along the multiple buses towards the console. Diodes are connected in series at proper positions of the buses to prevent the pulse groups to travel at an undesired direction.
A two-dimensional system can be built from two one-dimensional systems, so arranged that the laser beams of the two systems are orthogonally intersecting that of the other and both lie on the horizontal plane. This arrangement forms a non-substantial quasi-ceiling shielding the area below it.
A three-dimensional system can be formed by vertically cascading horizontal laser-beam planes and adding the appropriate electronic networks. This results in a nonsubstantial cubic matrix mesh.